The Young Liberal Movement of Australia:1. Reaffirms its commitment to responsibly protecting the Australian environment2. Supports the introduction of nuclear power as a clean alternative energy source3. Recognises the lack of scientific consensus regarding both the existence and impact of man-made global warming4. Recognises the problems inherent in the politicisation of scientific research5. Calls upon the Federal Government to not take any action to address alleged man made global warming until there is conclusive scientific evidence of its existence.6. Supports the Federal Government's current stance to not ratify the Kyoto Protocol.7. Are a pack of science challenged twats whose only focus seems to be on the economic impact on their hedge funds of whatever merchant bank they join if the world dares address climate change.

Okay - I added that last one. I do SO love point 4. Pot-Kettle-Black

Wait - there is some more nuttiness! Hilarious. What will they come up with next?

4.5. COGNATE DEBATE – PRODUCT ADVERTISINGThe Young Liberal Movement of Australia calls for an end to government legislation prohibiting tobacco advertising.VICSupporting statement: Prohibitions on tobacco advertising are an insult to the intelligence of the ordinary Australian. These bans assume that individuals are not fit to make up their own minds on the benefit or otherwise of smoking, and need the government to make the decision for them. Tobacco advertising should have the right to compete with anti-smoking advertising, and the individual should be free to make up his own mind on the matter. Further, bans on tobacco advertising don't in fact have the effect of reducing smoking, but simply entrench the market share of existing brands. Cigarettes that may in fact be less harmful to health are prohibited from advertising this fact.NSWThe Young Liberal Movement of Australia opposes a ban on junk food advertising.

12 comments:

I have had the great [miss]fortune of meeting many young liberals over the past few years.

I am yet to meet a single one who can articulate any type of arguement / position of any intelligence.

The most alarming aspect of the YL that I have met is that they are extremely racist, rowdy, aggressive and share a 'pack' mentality. In fact at one of their own 'balls' in Victoria they set about punching each other (no I am not making that up it is true).

The YL are a pack of disgusting cretins who spend their time at NUS National Conference either making up ditty's about drowning refugees or make every effort possible to insult the indigenous students attending conference. Several of the men thought it a funny sport to threaten female members of the left with rape.

I cannot stand them. I fear that what is coming up in the Liberal's ranks is far worse than what we have now. I kid you not. They are absolutely terrible.

$50,000 from British American Tobacco and $35,000 from Philip Morris to the National office for the Liberal party according to the AEC here in 2004. Wait - more donations later on. Another 25k in 2005 from BAT, and another 22k in 2004. Geez, it goes on and on doesn't it? Heaps of donations of 20-25k from tobacco companies during 2004 and 2005.

BTW under the new rules they won't have to disclose if it's under 10k...

In fact, you can click on donors to find out who exactly they gave to.

British American Tobacco gave $159,267.05 in total in 2004/2005 to the separate Liberal state and territory and national organisations. Of those donations over half will no longer have to be declared under the new rules.

Philip Morris gave $138,100.00 in total to the various Liberal and National parties in the same period. Almost all the amounts they gave will not have to be disclosed under the new rules of 10k or less.

2005 student union elections. Having just been accosted by a pamphlet-waving Young Liberal (under whichever 'hip' name they've adopted for the group this year), Gam takes a pamphlet and asks about their policies. The other parties in the running have been able to enunciate clear policies and plans for the budget under Howard's VSU:

YL: Well, we're going to make the food cheaper at the refec, so instead of paying $2 for a Coke you'll only pay-

Gam: I don't buy food from the refec. What I mean is what are your policies? What are your plans for the budget under VSU?

YL: Um, well, VSU hasn't been passed yet, we don't know if it will be passed...

Gam: So what will you do when VSU passes?

YL: Um... (something about they're sure they'll be able to deal with it when it happens... and cheap Coke)

I've been given the impression by the Adelaidian Liberal Party wets, that they aren't particularly impressed with the young liberals and some of their antics. Same can be said for the young ALP right faction, where ironically, the Chritian Fundamentalist members are the most easy to sit down and have a discussion with.

In any case, the Libs and the politicisation of science half makes me laugh, half makes me shake my head. I can't see Max Weber coming to their defence (for a long list of specific reasons, formost his oposition to ideology in economics) and anyone who knows anything about opposition to the politicisation of science, knows about Max Weber.

It's a bit old and dusty, and some of the effects of the zeitgeist can make it a bit of a culture shock, but Weber's "Science as a Vocation" (published in 1919) still rings true.

You can read it here. Interesting also that the politicisation of science is often a pre-condition of fascism (I wonder what Weber would have had to say about the 1930s) and such politicisation (coupled with anti-intellectualism) is being employed against genuine researches by the Liberal party and their pals in the media.